Business looks to potentially expand in Stratford park
By Casey Krautkramer
The village of Stratford Board on Oct. 10 tabled a decision until its November meeting on whether to allow Marathon Metals to purchase a vacant lot south of where its business currently resides in the Stratford Business/Industrial Park.
Village board members want to receive additional information from the Stratford Area Economic Development Cooperation on Marathon Metals’ future expansion plans before making a decision on selling the property, which is located at the intersection of Knoll Avenue and Platinum Drive and across the street north of the village compost site.
Marathon Metals has been leasing the spec building in the Stratford Business/ Industrial Park but now it wants to purchase the spec building and the open lot south of it.
Village of Stratford Board member Todd Belter said businesses that buy property in the Stratford Business/Industrial Park normally have a certain amount of years to build a structure on it. He said if the business doesn’t build a structure in that timeframe, then it’s required to give the property back to the village. Board members want to know expansion plans before they take a vote on whether to sell the lot to Marathon Metals.
In other news:
n The village board voted 5-0 to accept a petition to discontinue the public roadway in Sunset Ridge Subdivision and adopt resolution 2023-06 and set the public hearing at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14. Village board member Dale Heil was absent from the meeting when the vote occurred and village board member Katie Marten abstained from voting because she lives in the Sunset Ridge Subdivision.
n Village residents Mike Breit and Sam Cattanach shared their concerns about the village’s initial plans to install sidewalks on the west sides of Jasper and Allington avenues during next summer’s street reconstruction project. Jasper and Allington avenues interest with Monarch Street that is also in the reconstruction project. Currently there is only sidewalk on the north side of Monarch Street going into the Knoll Subdivision.
Breit and Cattanach argued that there isn’t a need for more sidewalks in their neighborhood because there are not many pedestrians, so sidewalks would be a waste of village money. They also don’t want sidewalks installed on their property because then they’d have a lot of snow removal to do. Belter said the village of Stratford doesn’t have enough sidewalks, therefore its plan is to install sidewalk whenever a street is reconstructed.
The village public works committee will review the sidewalk issue at its meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at Stratford Community Hall. In the meantime, the village board approved the state DOT’s Local Roads Improvement Program (LRIP) grant to help offset the cost of next summer’s reconstruction of Monarch Street and Jasper and Allington avenues.
n The village board approved the purchase of a Phosphorus Analyzer Auto Feed System from William Reid for $41,511 and the installation for $12,500. The village board approved the sale of the L8000 plow truck for $23,650 and the salter for $5,500 on the Wisconsin Surplus Auction.
n Village board member approved Zion Lutheran Church’s request to close Legion Street, between Logger and Larch streets, for its annual Trunk-or-Treat during the village’s trick-or-treating from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31.
n The village board approved an operator’s license for Jamie Ziegel of Fenwood.
n Village of Stratford president Keith Grell said it would be a few more years, possibly 2026, before the village would be ready to construct a new municipal center. The village board approved to have village administrative assistant Maria Ledesma research grant writing options and costs for the project in time for village board members to review them at the next regular monthly board meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the municipal hall.
VACANT LOT SOUGHT IN BUSINESS PARK- Marathon Metals can be seen on Monday night off to the left in the Stratford Business/Industrial Park. The open lot that Marathon Metals also wants to buy is shown to the south at the intersection of Knoll Avenue and Platinum Drive.
STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
Todd Belter
